Millions of packages per year are handled and shipped by United Parcel Service, Federal Express, and many other smaller courier and delivery services. These packages originate with federal, state, and local governments as well as private businesses of all sizes. In many instances, the charges by the carriers to their customers are based on the so-called “dim-weight factor” or “dimensional weight factor” (DWF) of the article being shipped, a fictitious dimension based on length (L) times width (W) times height (H) in inches divided by a standard agency or association-recognized divisor or conversion factor, commonly 139 ((L×W×H)/139) for international shipments and 166 ((L×W×H)/166) for domestic U.S. shipments. The “139” and “166” divisors or conversion factors have been recognized and adopted by the International Air Transport Association (I.A.T.A.). Even if an object or package is of irregular configuration, the “dim weight,” using the longest measurement each of length, width, and height, is still utilized for billing purposes. The volume computed by multiplication of object length, times width, times height may hereinafter be termed the “cubic volume,” “spatial volume,” or simply the “cube” of the object.
The measurements of the articles shipped are also critical so that the carrier can compute volume-based shipping charges; accurately determine the number of containers, trucks, trailers, or other vehicles required to transport goods to their destinations; and handlers of goods can optimize the use of space in retail as well as warehouse/distribution-center facilities. In addition, article weight and measurements may also be used to determine and predict weight and balance for transport vehicles and aircraft and to dictate the loading sequence for objects by weight and dimensions for maximum safety and efficiency. If orders of any items are to be packed into boxes, knowledge of object weight and dimensions is useful for determining box size, durability, packing sequence and product orientation.
A quick, accurate means and method for determining the dimensions and the cubic volume or spatial volume of a variety of sizes of packages and other objects in a commercial or industrial setting has been lacking for some situations. There is a particular need to be able to accurately measure objects, such as packages, of varying dimensions and sizes moving on a conveyor system. More specifically, conventional conveyorized dimensioning systems lack the capability to provide precise dimensional measurements, to provide accurate measurements of relatively small objects, as well as accurate measurements of irregular objects and groups of objects such as bundled objects destined for packaging. In addition, conventional conveyorized dimensioning systems may require excessive spacing between objects to be dimensioned riding on a conveyor belt or rollers.